Magazine fuse-block.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

G. BASKERVILLE. MAGAZINE FUSE BLOCK.

uruonmn' P-ILBD Jmwn'm, 1902.

I0 MODEL.

Wilmgooeo UNITED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

*" V MAGAZINE FUSE-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 729,033, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed June 19, 1902.

T 0 all whom, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN BASKERVILLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Fuse- Blocks, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to magazine fuseblocks for electric circuits, the object being to provide a construction whereby a fresh fuse will be automatically thrown into circuit to take the placeof a destroyed fuse and to accomplish this by means of a simple and cheap apparatus which shall be efficient and certain in operation.

My invention consists of the construction of a carriage having a tendency to move toward a pair of terminals, said carriage adapted to carry a plurality of fuses which are to be brought successively into position to bridge the gap between said terminals. Upon the destruction of a fuse the carriage at once brings a new fuse into the same position previously occupied by the destroyed fuse, thereupon establishing the circuit after a Very slight interruption.

My invention also comprehends a double construction wherein said carriage and other parts are duplicated to provide fuses in both conductors of a circuit.

My invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the multiple fuse-block complete. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the posts or terminals with which the end of the fuse engages.

Referring to the drawings by letter, Arepresents a base of insulating materialcarrying at each corner a metallic block, (indicated by a and a and b and b, respectively.) Mounted along the middle of the block on two posts 0 c at each end are two rails 61 and d, respectively, elevated from the face of the base and forming a guide or track upon which the fuses may slide, as hereinafter described. Near one edge of the base A are fixed two posts e and e, to the upper end of which are pivoted two horizontal arms f and f, respectively. The free ends of these arms are pro- Serial No. 112,302. (No model.)

vided with slots f and each also carries a pin or stop f against which a spiral spring f presses in orderto give the arm a tendency to turn. The springs are so adjusted with respect to the arms that one arm is given a tendency to move toward one end of the block, while the other is given a tendency to move toward the other end. On another post 9 is fixed a cross-bar g, which overlies the two arms to act as a guard therefor and keep them in working position. The posts at the corners of the base are provided with binding-screws for the connection of line-wires and are also provided on opposing faces with inclined surfaces a overhung by lips a These surfaces approach each other toward the end of the base A and form between them a wedge-shaped space.

0 and G are two plates which I call carriages. Each of them is provided with a pin a c, which when in working position project into the slots f of the swinging armsf and f, respectively. To the under side of the carriage are fixed in any suitable manner a series of fuses I, the manner of fixing them in place, as shown, being by screws 1', which pass through the carriage and into thefuse; but any suitable form of clamp or other device may be used for this purpose, the only essential point being that the fuses shall be arranged transversely of the plate and substantially parallel to each other and with a space between them and that their ends all terminate in line. The carriage, with the fuses thus attached, is placed on the rails d d in such a position that the first fuse of the series shall stand between the two posts a and a, with its ends resting in contact, respectively, with the inclined surfaces a on said posts, and being wedged into this posi-' tion by the forceof the spring acting upon the arm f, thus establishing good contact. Under this condition current flows through the first fuse only. It will be seen that when the fuse is destroyed by an abnormally-high current the entire fusible strip will collapse and fall clear of the terminals, there being no support for it either at an intermediate point or at the ends. The instant the fuse is destroyed the spring-arm moves the carriage, so that the next fuse in the series will be carried forward into the wedge-shaped space until it makes contact at its extremities with the respective terminals.

When this fuse is destroyed, another takes its place in the same manner as before,and the operation is repeat-- ed until the last fuse in the magazine is used, whereupon the carriage can be again loaded 5 and returned to its place or another dupli- W cate carriage, already loaded, inserted in the same position.

Having described my invention, I claim A'multiple fuse-block consisting of two terminals having opposing inclined faces forming a Wedge-shaped space between them, a horizontal guideway arranged between said terminals, a plate or carriage to which a plurality of fusible conductors are attached, the

said conductors resting upon the guideway, a pivoted arm engaging with said plate or carriage and a spring acting upon said arm and tending thereby to slide the fusible conductors along the guideway toward the terminals, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLENN BASKERVILLE.

Witnesses:

R. P. CLINKSOALER, .Tr., H. D. HENDRICKS. 

